400 Words


Autobiographies

Tell your life story in 400 words or less

Fast

by Stephanie—Age 34— Miami, FL
It was like this; it was fast. There was a marriage, a birth, a divorce and a move. Then, before I knew anything, I was a Miamian, living the single parent/child life—day care until six, quality-time-packed weekends. My mother dated half-heartedly, deftly keeping me away from all potential dads.
Eventually, she […]

Erase Me

by Chuck—Age 32—Hollywood, CA
Age 5, my father sits me on his lap in his Oldsmobile and lets me drive us into a snow bank and then yells at me. I later have nightmares about being in cars until I have my own license. Later, my mother teaches me how to drive in a cemetery.
Age 10, […]

Paul, 56, Santa Rosa: Twins

by Paul—Age 56—Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
My brother’s face is almost mine, a mirror image really though I’d argue that his head is squarer. Look at the pictures closely, you’ll see. Mine is a tall rectangle. That’s me on the right. I think? I can’t say the same about our personalities. While I lean toward sports […]

Rijn, 34, Melbourne

I have:
Held a decapitated human head in my hands, sliced neatly in half, and marvelled at the astounding beauty contained within. Always played with words, my childhood ambition to be ‘an authoress’ thwarted by my perfectionism on my first day of school, returning home to sob “I’ve had a whole day of classes, and […]